Creating decadent fair food at home

Extreme eating is alive and well at the San Diego County Fair, in all its deep-fried, chocolate-dipped, jumbo-sized glory.

Every summer we have the opportunity to set aside our sane farm-to-table eating habits and taste the outrageous; batter-dipped and deep-fried nuggets of chocolate chip cookie dough from Chicken Charlie’s on the Concourse, or a frothy mass of smoky bacon-flavored cotton candy from The Candy Factory.

On smoking barbecues dotted across the fairgrounds, corn-on-the-cob and giant 2-pound turkey legs are grilled by the dozens. There are lobster sliders at The Lobster Shack and wild boar bacon kebabs at Bacon-a-Fair.

Got a sweet tooth? There are maple-bacon doughnuts at Texas Donut and hot Nutella funnel cakes at Funnel Express.

But have you ever thought about making any of the fair’s over-the-top treats at home? If you have, I’ve developed recipes for three, classic fair favorites easily prepared in your very own kitchen — if you dare.

Eduardo Contreras

Snickers candy bars are deep fried to create this homemade version of a decadent fair treat.

Snickers candy bars are deep fried to create this homemade version of a decadent fair treat. (Eduardo Contreras)

Tempura Fried-Snickers-on-a-Stick

If you can grab it and batter it, you will probably find it fried at the fair; from Oreos, cookie dough, and Kool-Aid, to avocados, pickles and barbecue ribs.

Battered and fried candy bars like Snickers and Milky Way are consistent favorites. I like to use a tempura batter made with gluten-free rice flour and ice-cold club soda for a coating that cooks quickly and still manages to encase the molten chocolate within a delicate, crisp shell.

You don’t need a deep-fat fryer to make these treats, but having one does make the process particularly simple, as you can preset the temperature of the oil and the fryer does the job of regulating it. The optimal temperature for frying is anywhere from 360 to 375 degrees.

If you choose to use a Dutch oven on the stovetop, you will need a candy/deep-frying thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil. They’re specifically designed to test the temperature of hot sugar syrups or oil, and attach conveniently to the side of the pan.

Cinnamon Rolls

Giant cinnamon rolls slathered with cream cheese icing are a favorite at the Country Fair Cinnamon Roll stand, and my Blue Ribbon Cinnamon Rolls are just as addictive.

The buttery dough has a rich, delectable flavor and moist texture achieved by allowing the dough to rise twice — the first time in a warm, draft-free place until it is doubled in volume.

After the dough is slathered with cinnamon-brown sugar butter and shaped into spiraled rolls, they’re given a second long, cold rise overnight in the refrigerator. This allows the yeast to work slowly, yielding rolls with a rounder, more complex flavor and finer texture.

The added bonus is homemade cinnamon rolls ready to pop in the oven when you wake up in the morning. I think cream cheese icing overwhelms the delicate flavor of these sweet rolls, so I glaze them with a buttery confectioners’ sugar icing given a subtle tang with buttermilk instead.

Eduardo Contreras

This gourmet variation of a grilled cheese sandwich has pulled pork and macaroni and cheese.

This gourmet variation of a grilled cheese sandwich has pulled pork and macaroni and cheese. (Eduardo Contreras)

Grilled BBQ Pork-Mac-and-Cheese-Sandwich

At Grilled Cheese A-Fair, chef Barry Schneider’s overstuffed grilled cheese sandwiches look almost impossible to duplicate at home, but he did have a few tips for me that made my version of his fair favorite sandwich much easier to prepare.

“Grill the bread slices separately, and put cheese on each slice,” he said. “When the cheese starts to melt, spoon the mac-and-cheese onto one slice, and the warm, pulled pork on the other. Then put ’em together.”

When I tried his method at home, the melted cheese acted as a barrier to the gooey pork-and-pasta filling, and the bread remained crisp and buttery to the last bite.

Snickers Tempura-on-a-Stick

These aren’t an everyday treat, but for a party they are a lot of fun. I use Bob’s Red Mill white rice flour, but rice flour is also available from Asian grocery stores like 99 Ranch Market. The batter works best when all the ingredients are ice cold, so don’t remove the egg and club soda from the refrigerator until you are ready to dip and fry the candy bars.

Serves 6

6 full-size Snickers candy bars (or Milky Way candy bars)

Six 4 1/2-inch wooden Popsicle sticks

4 to 5 cups peanut oil or canola oil, for frying

For the batter:

2 cups white rice flour

Pinch salt

1 large egg

10-ounce bottle ice-cold club soda

Also:

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Unwrap the candy bars and insert a Popsicle stick, lengthwise, into each one as a handle. Refrigerate the candy bars for at least 1 hour.

Fill a deep fryer, large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven with the oil. Heat the oil to 365 degrees.

While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a large 4-cup measuring cup, use a fork and stir together the rice flour, salt, egg and 10 ounces club soda just until smooth. If the batter seems too thick, thin with additional club soda until it reaches the consistency of thick pancake batter. Don’t worry if a few lumps remain in the batter.

Dip the candy bars: hold the candy bars by their sticks and dip into the batter, coating all sides of the candy completely. Gently shake off any excess batter.

Fry the candy bars, two at a time, until golden and crisp, turning once with metal tongs, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove candy bars from the oil and drain on a cooling rack over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Dust each candy bar with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

Grilled BBQ Pork-Mac-and-Cheese Sandwich

Pulled pork is usually made with pork shoulder, a fairly fatty part of the pig. Loin roast is a leaner, but equally tasty, choice for the barbecue pork used in these indulgent, over-the-top grilled cheese sandwiches.

Prepare the barbecue pork: Season the pork with salt and pepper. Place in the slow cooker, adding the garlic and drizzling with balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours until the meat is fork tender.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking juices. Use two forks and shred the pork into bite-size pieces. Stir together the mango chutney, barbecue sauce and reserved cooking juices in the slow cooker. Add the shredded pork to the sauce and cover. Cook an additional hour.

Prepare the sandwiches: Heat a flat, nonstick griddle to medium heat. Generously butter two slices of bread. Lay the bread, buttered side down, on the preheated griddle and top each slice of bread with 1 or 2 slices of cheddar cheese. Top one slice of bread with 1 cup warm (not hot) macaroni and cheese. Top the remaining slice of bread with ½ to ¾ cup of the barbecued pork. Cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is crisp and golden brown. Carefully sandwich both halves together and slice the sandwich in half. Serve immediately. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients for a second sandwich.

Blue Ribbon Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls aren’t difficult, but they do take a little planning and should be started the day before you want to serve them. If you have a stand mixer, like a KitchenAid, kneading the dough is a breeze. Allow the dough to rise the first time for about 2 hours until it is doubled in volume. Once the rolls are shaped and placed in a buttered and parchment paper-lined pan, let them rise slowly for the second time, overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning all you have to do is let the rolls come to room temperature while you preheat the oven. 30 minutes later, warm and gooey homemade cinnamon rolls are yours.

Makes 1 dozen large rolls

Dough:

¼ cup warm water (about 100 to 105 degrees)

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup warm (100 to 105 degrees) whole milk

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs, room temperature

5 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Glaze:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

4 tablespoons very soft, unsalted butter

¼ cup buttermilk, plus more if needed

To make the dough: One day before serving rolls, pour the warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir in ¼ cup of the granulated sugar and sprinkle the dry yeast over the surface of the water. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes until the yeast thickens and starts frothing a little. Add the warm milk, remaining ¼ cup sugar, melted butter and the eggs. Using the paddle attachment, mix together on low speed. Add 2 cups of flour and salt to form a soft, sticky dough. Gradually beat in the remaining 3 cups flour.

Replace the paddle attachment with a dough hook and knead on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Alternately, scrape the dough into a floured board and knead by hand, using the heel of your hand to push the dough away from you and then pulling it back over onto itself. Properly kneaded, the dough should be silky, with a subtle sheen, and when shaped into a loaf, as smooth and firm as a baby’s bottom.

Butter a large bowl and add the dough, turning to coat all sides with butter. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 2 to 2½ hours.)

While the dough is rising, make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt until soft and spreadable. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to use.

Punch the dough down. On a lightly floured counter, press the dough flat. Use a lightly floured rolling pin and roll the dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle with the long size facing you. Spread the filling evenly over the surface of the dough using a small spatula.

Starting from the long side closest to you, roll dough into a tight cylinder. Pinch the dough together to form a seam. Turn the cylinder over, seam side down. Use a serrated knife and slice the cylinder in half. Slice each section of dough into 6 evenly sized pieces.

Brush a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with oil and line with parchment paper. Arrange the rolls, cut side down, in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the rolls from the refrigerator. Let the rolls come to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake 27 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are puffy and golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze: combine softened butter and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and gradually stir in ¼ cup buttermilk until the glaze is smooth, creamy and spreadable. If the mixture is lumpy and thick, add a little more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls. Serve immediately.